Tommy Kelly asked to be released

[RayClay]

Let us see what BB does to Revis in a few years if he stays here a on a longer contract

What's your point? We have a salary cap. When did players dream of playing here, by the way?

 

[Gronkowski123]

would prefer kelly over silinga who's a garbage DT and joey " roller blades "vellano.
vellano is easily the weakest DT in the league. just gets pushed around by mediocre OL.

 

[captain stone]

Kelly played a helluva lot better last night than The Worst Starting DT In FootBall did yesterday afternoon.

 

[Marqui]

Kelly played a helluva lot better last night than The Worst Starting DT In FootBall did yesterday afternoon.

I feel like just giving up on this team's defense. It's almost like they want it to suck.

 

[50-yard-line]

His top escalator was at 60% of the snaps. In what world is Kelly not worth that on this Patriots DL?

Wilfork, Kelly Easley (if he gets there)...Jones, Vellano and Siliga sit down unless one of the others needs a breather.

Kelly should have played as many snaps as he could handle in the MIami game. Any other DT other than Wilfork is a severe drop-off in talent and size.

I missed the game yesterday - how'd he play?

 

[Marqui]

I told everyone this Kelly release was a disaster as soon as it happened and a lot of people celebrated that the DL was getting younger and better with Vellano.

 

[mayoclinic]

A lot of people celebrated that the DL was getting younger and better with Vellano.

????

Link please.

I recall a number of people arguing that the defense was getting younger, and hopefully better in the long term. I don't recall many if any people arguing that Vellano was going to be a part of that.

 

[Marqui]

????

Link please.

I recall a number of people arguing that the defense was getting younger, and hopefully better in the long term. I don't recall many if any people arguing that Vellano was going to be a part of that.

I'll add my voice to the chorus. I was shocked by the Kelly release. Mildly surprised by the Anderson release, though a lot less surprised after watching the young LB's step up their play. And not surprised at all by the Smith release.

What I'm hoping is that most, if not all of the following are the reasons for Kelly being cut.

1. Siliga and/or Jones are on track to be back on the field within 2 weeks.
2. Villano has shown a "2nd year leap"
3. Easley has shown flashes of the top 10 talent that caused them to take the risk on him, AND he's on track to play in game one.
4. They think Worthy can be coached up into the 2nd round talent he was reported to have.....playing in the Pats defensive system.
5. Vince is ALL the way back.

I liked Kelly, especially his size, length and penetrating quickness. He was by far our best defensive lineman during the short time he played for us last season. I have to be honest, I didn't watch him closely, but I thought he was doing well so far this camp.

I reject the idea that his release makes it more likely we will be in a 3-4 this season. Far from it. Kelly was the ONLY guy who had the size and length that BB likes in his 3-4 DE's Easley is your consummate one gap DLman, Worthy has already failed at being a 3-4 DE in the Packer system. and Vellano and Chris Jones are too short and small to do the job consistently. Plus you don't want to have your best edge rusher dropping back in coverage, even if its only about 30% of the time.

I hope to have my thread on the whole 3-4/4-3 topic ready tomorrow. It will be good to discuss something other than roster speculation, while we wait for opening day.

http://www.patsfans.com/new-england...son-and-smith-cut.1111494/page-8#post-3881694

What "2nd year leap" had Vellano ever shown anywhere? He always sucked, always will.

 

[mayoclinic]

http://www.patsfans.com/new-england...son-and-smith-cut.1111494/page-8#post-3881694

What "2nd year leap" had Vellano ever shown anywhere? He always sucked, always will.

Thank you kindly. I've always ascribed to the "he always sucked, always will" perspective. Nice kid who gives a ton of effort, but hopelessly overmatched in the NFL. I think a "2nd year leap" to the CFL would be appropriate.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

Well that sucks even more.

 

[Marqui]

Thank you kindly. I've always ascribed to the "he always sucked, always will" perspective. Nice kid who gives a ton of effort, but hopelessly overmatched in the NFL. I think a "2nd year leap" to the CFL would be appropriate.

Kinda reminds me of the Kyle Love era. Guy will be out of the league in a year or so yet they're starting him now

 

[mayoclinic]

Kinda reminds me of the Kyle Love era. Guy will be out of the league in a year or so yet they're starting him now

I am as big a BB fan as anyone, but some of his personnel decisions truly mystify me:

- Ryan Wendell at center. I understand Wendell is a good run blocker, but he is just not able to handle pressure up the middle, one of the most important elements of the game.
- Kyle Arrington at outside CB. I understand Arrington is a solid slot CB and a good tackler, but outside he is just abysmal.
- Pat Chung in coverage. I understand he has some decent skills in the box, but he is just a huge liability in space.
- Dont'a Hightower as a WLB. I understand there were injuries, but this is just wrong.
- Vellano anywhere.

Wendell, Vellano and Arrington were all UDFAs with a great work ethic and scrappy personality, but they are just over-matched. I don't understand it.

 

[ATippett56]

Bill Belichick:

But I just saved a bunch of money switching to Vellano.

 

[PatriotReign]

Kelly would have certainly been a better asset than Vellano, who needs to find his way off of the roster and out of the NFL.

 

[RIpats88]

I dont understand kellys comments though. in the pre-season he was STARTING. maybe they wanted to limit his snaps in the pre-season because he is an older player coming off an ACL injury.

 

[Deus Irae]

I dont understand kellys comments though. in the pre-season he was STARTING. maybe they wanted to limit his snaps in the pre-season because he is an older player coming off an ACL injury.

And you figure Belichick was struck medically mute and couldn't explain things to Kelly?

 

[mgteich]

So, Kelly is a starting DT for the patriots because he started in the preseason?

The patriots have apparently made the decision that Kelly would be a backup for the patriots. Wilfork and Easley are our starting DT's with Jones the first off the bench. Siliga is on the roster as the backup NT.

We can say that Kelly is a better choice than Easley and Jones. We are posters; we can say almost anything.

No one here WANTED Vellano on the roster. IMHO, we chose 2 from Smith, Moore, Vellano and Worthy.

I suspect that Kelly's health is an issue. Given the health issues, I suspect that if Kelly stayed, it would have been in addition to the DT's we kept.

BOTTOM LINE
We upgraded Kelly by signing and playing Easley. We have retained the players who STARTED all last year and gave us a top 10 defense. And yes, we retained our backup DT from last year, when Kelly wouldn't accept a backup role with severely limited reps. Personally, I wanted Worthy, but given the injuries, Belichick wanted someone ready to be a backup now.

 

[Deus Irae]

So, Kelly is a starting DT for the patriots because he started in the preseason?

The patriots have apparently made the decision that Kelly would be a backup for the patriots. Wilfork and Easley are our starting DT's with Jones the first off the bench. Siliga is on the roster as the backup NT.

We can say that Kelly is a better choice than Easley and Jones. We are posters; we can say almost anything.

No one here WANTED Vellano on the roster. IMHO, we chose 2 from Smith, Moore, Vellano and Worthy.

I suspect that Kelly's health is an issue. Given the health issues, I suspect that if Kelly stayed, it would have been in addition to the DT's we kept.

BOTTOM LINE
We upgraded Kelly by signing and playing Easley. We have retained the players who STARTED all last year and gave us a top 10 defense. And yes, we retained our backup DT from last year, when Kelly wouldn't accept a backup role with severely limited reps. Personally, I wanted Worthy, but given the injuries, Belichick wanted someone ready to be a backup now.

Easley hadn't seen the field. There's no way the team would have known whether or not Easley was an upgrade to Kelly. Hell, looking at Sunday, he's clearly not one at this time.

 

[Miguel]

What if Kelly chose to go to the Cardinals because he knew that he would beat out Sopoaga for a spot on the roster and thereby cost the Pats a 1M credit in 2015?

 

[Deus Irae]

What if Kelly chose to go to the Cardinals because he knew that he would beat out Sopoaga for a spot on the roster and thereby cost the Pats a 1M credit in 2015?

Take that million and add it to the cost of Kelly's replacement...